


red doesnt always look so great on red

by Pinnacle of Failure (Cromirn)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, F/M, Gen, Proofreading? I dont know that bitch, tattoo artist au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 16:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cromirn/pseuds/Pinnacle%20of%20Failure
Summary: she has had some weird people come in before, especially since she's a tattoo artist. he takes the jackpot.





	red doesnt always look so great on red

She is a tattoo artist, renown for her artistry in the details of the grimness of life. Sakura never really stays in a place too long, having seen it all before and now travels the countries in search of something new. It’s never too hard financing her lifestyle either, having saved enough money in high school, and her art pays well at times.

She is in Suna, a ragged city in the Country of Wind. She has some favorite clients here, the ones who’ve spent the time traveling for her to paint on their body, even if it meant they’d have to stay for weeks on end for their complex tattoo to be finished.

One such canvas of hers is an old friend, Temari, a sweet girl who had a short fling with Shikamaru while she stayed in Konoha. They were a lovely couple, but Shikamaru couldn’t leave, nor could Temari stay any longer, although they still do text. Or, well, Shikamaru has to deal with Temari’s shitty memes.

Now that it seems Sakura’s in Suna, she’s been getting these weird looks from the people. She doesn’t mind it, it happens after a while, but never this soon.

One day, long in the afternoon and after a few complacent customers scheduling their appointment and the design, the door opens. The bell clings, and Sakura ignores it as she writes down times and abiently chats with a young man. Aika, her coworker, calls the person over loud enough that Sakura pauses over and sees her sit down a man with strong red hair, strong enough that Sakura cracks a smile.

At least she isn’t the only one here with the weirdest hair. She finishes chatting with the man quickly enough, and Aika waves her hand for Sakura to come closer. 

“Hey, so I’m Sakura and I’m guessing Aika doesn’t wanna work with you,” She says lightly, nudging Aika out of the seat with a soft chuckle. She looks up at him and immediately spots the red kanji on his face. She winces, tattoo removals aren’t things she likes to mess with.

Aika laughs with her, and roughly punches her arm, “No, silly, what he wants is you. Not you, like that, but he wants your art. Your style.”

“Oof, there isn’t much style I have left, to be honest,” she rebuttals, and looks at him. She shoves her hand out, and waits for a handshake. He looks at it, and she shrugs. Nothing wrong with that. “So, I hear I’m good for what you want.”

“My sister thinks highly of you,” He mutters, his voice so low she almost asked for him to repeat himself. Then she brightens. Good. Good reputation means good money. “She told me to get a… tattoo here, something light yet ‘scarry’, soft with undertones of death and foretellings of unhappiness.”

Sakura smiles, all teeth and excited. “I can work with that, I can show you some of my friends tattoos they’ve had me do, the ones that fits your descriptions. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Gaara.”

“Ditto,” she grabs a pen from a pocket, and snags a piece of paper from the side and jolts down his name, “So, light and scary, soft and deadly, any other descriptions? Those a pretty loose words, to say so myself; I’ve got some good pics on my phone all done by me but I just wanna make sure nd all.”

“I was told that those kinds of tattoos would look good on me. My sister had one done by you not so long ago with the same descriptors, and said she is very pleased by them.”

A smile coils on her lips, and she feels her ears burn. “Does this sister of your have a name? I’m not one to forget them.”

Gaara looks to the side, inspecting some of Aika’s work. “Temari.”

Her tongue curls behind her teeth, and her heart thrums in pleasure, “I remember Temari!” She says a little too loudly. “She’s a very sweet girl, she got along with everyone in the other place!”

He hums, a pleasant purr in his throat. “Yes. She has that… effect on people.”

“Yep,” she pops her ‘P’ and shakes the paper, “But onto business here, haha, do you have any solid ideas you want? Preferences? Literally anything else?”

“I like the color brown. I’ve always wanted a cat. I-” he begins to list things off, and Sakura smiles, suddenly getting this feeling that she’s seen him before. Maybe Temari had spoke about him once. “And I really like to read.”

“I can do something with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> come join the the place where i get most of my good ideas, Genjutsu Support Group


End file.
